Who Looking At The Tide’s Players?
Below are some of the top Tide football stories for today published by various organizations:
Richardson Rated As The No. 1 Running Back
By Bill Vilona, pnj.com
New York Jets coach Rex Ryan leaned his head back and laughed. Trent Richardson? “Oh yeah, I’ve seen him (play). I know all about him,” he said, convincingly. “That guy is a great football player.” If there was one consensus at practices for Saturday’s Senior Bowl, it was the assessment of Richardson’s talents for the 2012 NFL Draft. While many of the NFL personnel assembled this week were reluctant to discuss Richardson, because he’s a junior leaving school early, there is no doubt about the potential impact for the Alabama tailback. “I haven’t done all the work I need to do on him yet, because there are 60-some juniors who came out,” said Mike Mayock, the lead draft analyst for the NFL Network. “But from what I have seen, he is a first-round running back with the size, speed, toughness, durability and all the other things you look for in a first-round pick.” Mayock, and other notable NFL draft analysts like ESPN’s Mel Kiper, have Richardson rated as the No. 1 running back on the board. He is viewed as the only tailback with a clear-cut, first-round status. Continue Reading >>
Recruiting Heats Up
Below are some of the top Tide football stories for today published by various organizations:
Nick Saban Meets With Justin Taylor
By Michael Carvell, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Nick Saban and Justin Taylor sat across from each other for about an hour at North Atlanta High School on Tuesday. It was the first face-to-face meeting between the two since it was reported that Taylor can’t sign with Alabama this year. The Crimson Tide wants Taylor to “grayshirt” because of a knee injury and wait to enroll in 2013, while others speculate that it was creative “roster management” by Saban. We talked to North Atlanta football coach Stanley Pritchett, the ex-NFL RB who is also Taylor’s legal guardian. “We had a good conversation with Coach Saban. He told us exactly what the plan was with Justin. It was basically the same things he told us a couple of weeks ago on the official visit to Alabama. Coach Saban really wants him. He said he wouldn’t be coming to the school and sitting in the room if he didn’t want him. Coach Saban said Justin is part of the Alabama family. They just think it’s best for his football career to grayshirt and get his knee back right.” Continue Reading >>
NFL Descends On Mobile For The Senior Bowl
Below are some of the top Tide football stories for today published by various organizations:
Saban A Hit At The Senior Bowl
From jacksonville.com
As Jaguars receivers coach Jerry Sullivan met with the Jacksonville media for the first time, a commotion rose a few yards away from him and got closer and closer. This commotion followed Alabama head coach Nick Saban as cameras pursued him and children called out his name from the stands. As NFL hopefuls practiced behind Sullivan, and NFL scouts and coaches watched from the sidelines, Saban stopped to shake his hand and say hello, then the ruckus moved with him. Such is the scene at the Senior Bowl, where each year the NFL world descends upon Mobile, Ala., with coaches, general managers, scouts and assistants looking for players who can help their teams improve. Continue Reading >>
Saban Put The Process Aside For A Moment
Below are some of the top Tide football stories for today published by various organizations:
Saban Loved This Team
By Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News
He actually put the process aside for a moment. He did something he asks his players, coaches and fans not to do. He looked at the results of his work. He looked at the results and saw that they were good, very good, and he didn’t mind saying it. Good for him. “I absolutely love this team,” Saban said. What’s not to love about a team that was challenged only once in its first 12 games, failed to meet that challenge and then erased that mistake with a vengeance in game No. 13? “This is a special team,” he said. Of all the things he’s accomplished as a college head coach, Saban has another mountain he’s yet to climb. He hasn’t gone back-to-back. No one’s done that unanimously since Nebraska’s Tom Osborne in 1994 and 1995. He made it 3 out of 4 with a split national title in 1997. Saban has a chance to do both in 2012, to go back-to-back and get 3 out of 4. Can he do it? Continue Reading >>
Recruiting Heats Up
Below are some of the top Tide football stories for today published by various organizations:
Alabama Schedules Visit With 5-Star DL Arik Armstead
By Charles Goldberg, al.com
The recruiting battle for a California lineman apparently knows no bounds, at least when it comes to the Auburn-Alabama rivalry. The Sacramento Bee is reporting Alabama coach Nick Saban has called for a home visit with five-star defensive lineman Arik Armstead of Elk Grove, Calif. Armstead visited Auburn last weekend with his brother, Armond, who is also looking for a place to play. Arik Armstead was set to enroll in a school this week, and Auburn was a contender, but now says he’s waiting to announce his college destination on signing day on Feb. 1. “It’s crazy but it’s cool,” said Armstead’s father Guss Armstead, told the newspaper. Continue Reading >>
Stallings Impressed With 2011 team
Below are some of the top Tide football stories for today published by various organizations:
Stallings Compares 2011 National Champions To 1992
By Izzy Gould, al.com
Gene Stallings was in New Orleans for the BCS National Championship Game to watch Alabama’s 21-0 win over LSU on Jan. 9. Stallings said Thursday he watched the 1992 national championship game again just two days before the Crimson Tide’s most recent championship. Stallings was asked to compare his national championship team defense with this year’s title team. His answer focused on the specific national championship games rather than comparing each season as a whole. Stallings said he spoke with some of the members of the ’92 team while he was in New Orleans. “This is sort of what I told them,” Stallings said. “I said, ‘You guys were good.’ I didn’t really realize how good a football team we did have. It was just the next game on our schedule. But looking back at it, they played extremely well. I just can’t imagine anybody playing any better than the Alabama team this year did. Defensively, offensively, the kicking game – they just totally controlled every avenue of that game. It was fun to watch it.” Continue Reading >>
Hirings Are Official Now
Below are some of the top Tide football stories for today published by various organizations:
Tide Adds Nussmeier And Thompson
From seattlepi.com
Alabama has hired Doug Nussmeier as offensive coordinator and brought Lance Thompson back to coach outside linebackers. Nussmeier directed the Washington Huskies offense the past three seasons. He replaces Jim McElwain, who left to become head coach at Colorado State after helping the Crimson Tide win its second national championship in three years. Thompson also coached outside linebackers for Alabama in 2007 and 2008 before spending three seasons at Tennessee. He replaces Sal Sunseri, now Tennessee’s defensive coordinator. Nussmeier worked with quarterback Jake Locker, the No. 8 overall draft pick by the Tennessee Titans last year. Washington’s offense scored 57 touchdowns and 431 points last season, the second-highest totals in school history behind only the 1991 national championship team. Sophomore Keith Price broke school records for passing touchdowns (33), completion percentage (66.9) and passing efficiency rating (161.9). Alabama coach Nick Saban said Nussmeier will be “a great fit.” Continue Reading >>
